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Last updated 7/17/2024 - Originally published 7/17/2024
Written by SimpleTire
In case you just woke up from a coma for the last 10 years, there are light trucks, Jeeps, SUVs, and crossovers everywhere on the roads these days. Many of them are fitted out with 4WD, a ruggedized suspension, and extra ride height, and the best way to really take full advantage of a 4WD truck’s performance potential is with a set of premium all-terrain tires. All-season and highway-terrain tires have a lot going for them, with their year-round grip and car-like ride and road manners on the pavement, but they aren’t designed for the durability and the traction you need to go off the pavement in rough, difficult terrain. With so many light trucks and SUVs everywhere on the highways, the tire market is saturated with hundreds of all-terrain tires to choose from, and each has a distinct set of pluses and minuses that they bring to the game.
In this product comparison, we’re going to take a look at the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Toyo Open Country A/T III and see how they stack up against each other. The Geolandar lineup of tires from Yokohama has been around for quite a few years now, with a number of models bearing the Geolandar name, and while the Toyo Open Country A/T III might be a bit newer and not have the same name recognition, it’s still a great-quality tire that compares well to the Yokohama.
Are you familiar with SimpleScore? SimpleScore is the ratings system that SimpleTire came up with to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We look at the tire’s specs, the info from the manufacturer, customer reviews, and other data points, then process all that to a 1-10 numerical value for the categories of traction, handling, and longevity, along with an overall average SimpleScore number for the tire. For the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Toyo Open Country A/T II, the SimpleScore numbers shake out like this:
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018:
- Traction: 9.9
- Handling: 9.8
- Longevity: 8.8
- Overall average SimpleScore: 9.4
Toyo Open Country A/T III:
- Traction: 9.8
- Handling: 9.3
- Longevity: 8.9
- Overall average SimpleScore: 9.3
As you can see from the SimpleScore numbers, these are a couple of tires that are really closely matched and compare well with each other in terms of SimpleScore numbers and performance. As handy as SimpleScore is, it’s still a 30,000 foot view that doesn’t really get you in close to look at what these tires are really all about. Let’s get in and take a deeper look with this product comparison review of the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Toyo Open Country A/T III:
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 tires
With their Geolandar line, Yokohama has a lot of technical expertise under their belts in the arena of all-terrain tires, and the Geolandar A/T4 G018 brings all that expertise and premium manufacturing into focus for a first-rate performer and value. The Geolandar A/T4 G018 boasts all kinds of innovations for strong, consistent performance on or off the pavement, with a great balance of toughness and tenacity off the pavement and secure, driver-friendly manners on the street or interstate.
The Geolandar A/T4 G018 is designed to be durable and dependable, with Yokohama’s Geo-Shield design package. This comprehensive technology suite includes multiple sidewall plies, a built-in sidewall protector flange, a high-tensile steel belt layer, a high-turnup nylon cap ply, and the Enduro triple-polymer enhanced tread formulation. For confident grip in the most challenging conditions, there are aggressive center blocks and mud and stone ejectors designed for efficient self-cleaning of mud and debris so there’s always a clear section of tread to dig in as the wheel turns.
In rainy or snowy weather, the Geolandar A/T4 G018 gets the job done with triple 3D sipes, zigzag grooves, single-pitch shoulder blocks, and Yokohama’s EdgeTec groove design. The Geolandar A/T4 G018 has the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service. Yokohama covers the Geolandar A/T4 G018 with a pretty strong mileage warranty, too – a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty for Euro-metric sizes, and 55,000 miles worth of coverage for LT-Metric sizes. Overall, the Geolandar A/T4 G018 is a reliable, versatile tire for off-road excursions or day-to-day commutes and lengthy freeway trips on the pavement. SimpleTire’s price on the Geolandar A/T4 G018 starts at $189.99 per tire.
Toyo Open Country A/T III tires
The Toyo Open Country A/T III is designed for today’s trucks and SUVs as the kind of tire that you can count on for the traction and durability you need for off-road workouts in sand, snow, mud, or rocks. That’s all with very few tradeoffs on the quiet ride, nimble handling, good road manners, and comfortable ride that you’d expect from a great set of all-season tires. That might all sound like a lot to hope for, but the Toyo Open Country A/T III is exactly that kind of all-terrain tire.
Toyo engineered the Open Country A/T III to be durable enough to take on rough terrain, with a damage-resistant cut-and-chip-resistant rubber compound, polyester casing, two steel belts, and a spiral wrap polyamide cap layer. Toyo covers the Open Country A/T III with a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. The symmetric all-terrain tread features a high void ratio to easily rid itself of stones, mud, and debris, ensuring there’s always a clear section of the tire to dig in. Its extra-deep initial tread depth of 13/32” is designed for long wear as well as traction.
The Toyo Open Country A/T III has the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification for severe winter service. Cornering, braking, and steering responses are also quick and precise without being twitchy, thanks to the shoulder design, sipe pattern, and stable internal construction of the Open Country A/T III. All in all, the Toyo Open Country A/T III presents itself as a strong, capable choice, a tire that’s equally in its element or off of paved surfaces. SimpleTire’s price on the Toyo Open Country A/T III starts at $162.81 per tire.
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 vs Toyo Open Country A/T III tires on traction
With SimpleScores of 9.9 for the Yokohama and 9.8 for the Toyo in the traction category, this one’s obviously a squeaker. Both tires are Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rated for severe winter service (a pretty strong recommendation just by itself), and both are designed with tread features that deliver strong and capable traction on a variety of surfaces and terrains. That includes sipes, wide, deep grooves with built-in stone ejectors, aggressive tread blocks toward the center, and scoops at the shoulder for improved lateral traction (for clawing out of ruts and cornering). With these kinds of enhancements for control and grip and two tires that are so closely matched in the category, that’s when we have to defer to customer reviews and listen to what drivers have to say. Our decision, with the reviews moving the needle, is:
ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 vs Toyo Open Country A/T III tires on handling
With SimpleScores of 9.8 for the Yokohama and 9.3 for the Toyo in the handling category, obviously, both tires perform very well but the scores aren’t quite as close. Yokohama’s GeoShield construction adds a great deal of rigidity to the Geolandar A/T4 G018, and that’s important for a couple of reasons. A tire that’s more rigid is going to offer better high-speed stability and better control and durability in rough off-road conditions, but it also means better handling and steering response on the pavement. As any vehicle starts to make a turn or round a corner, its weight and momentum mean it will try to keep going forward, which puts a lot of stress on the tire as it guides the vehicle in another direction.
With a tire that has a mushier internal structure, that results in deformation of the tire’s tread, sometimes with the tread’s inboard side leaving the pavement completely. A more reinforced shoulder and sub-tread means less deformation and “tread squirm” for cornering and steering responses that are more decisive and stable, and Yokohama’s GeoShield design takes that into account for more precise handling. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 vs Toyo Open Country A/T III tires on longevity
In the longevity category, with a SimpleScore of 8.9 for the Toyo and 8.8 for the Yokohama Geolandar, obviously, this is another really close call. Both tires have 65,000 miles worth of limited manufacturer’s tread life coverage (which is a remarkable mileage warranty for any all-terrain tire), so we again let the customer reviews make the call on this one. Customer reviews have the moment here, so our decision is:
ADVANTAGE: Toyo Open Country A/T III
When to use each
Ask yourself, what are your needs and expectations for a set of tires for a 4WD-equipped light truck or SUV? If you take that truck off the pavement very often, you need a set of tires that is durable enough to take on the job, with reinforced construction and a damage-resistant tread compound that can stand up to the roughest conditions without punctures, cuts, chips, or tears.
You need a tread design that you can rely on for consistent traction in a variety of conditions, and if you live in a part of the country that sees harsh winter weather, the kind that can leave several inches of snow on the roads, it’s a big help if your tires have the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification (like both the Toyo and the Yokohama). In a perfect world, your tires will also be designed for low noise on the highway, composed of road manners, an accommodating ride, capable handling, and stable straight-line tracking on the pavement, for long interstate trips or daily commutes.
Then again, if you like to go rock crawling with your tires aired down or take your truck into deep mud bogs or beach sand, all-terrain tires might not be the best choice and maybe mud-terrain tires would suit your needs better. Still, if you find yourself traversing job sites, oilfield lease roads, ranch roads, or rural gravel lanes, or if you are just getting off the pavement for some old-fashioned fun in the mud and dirt, all-terrain tires like the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Toyo Open Country A/T III are both great candidates.
Which one should you choose?
This is always the moment of truth in these comparisons, and when it comes down to two tires that are as closely matched and as competent as the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Toyo Open Country A/T III, it’s a pretty tough call. Both tires have the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating, both tires have generously limited manufacturer’s tread life coverage and both are durable and tough tires that are packed with advanced features and innovations. Both tires do well on the pavement with low noise, ride comfort, and handling and control that are predictable and consistent.
You really can’t go wrong with either the Yokohama or the Toyo; they’re both excellent all-terrain tires for something like a Ford F150, Chevrolet Silverado, RAM 1500, Ford Explorer, or Toyota Tundra. So let’s think about price, the Yokohama comes in at $189.99 per tire vs $162.81 per tire for the Toyo. With everything else about these two tires being so similar in terms of performance and value, we’d just say if you can afford the Yokohama, then you should go with that tire. If your budget says the Toyo is a better pick, go with the Toyo. You won’t regret either decision.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.